Jason Leon Watford, 48, told FBI investigators he “snapped” during an argument before striking and choking a woman aboard the MSC Seascape, according to federal court documents. He has been charged with murder in her death. The ship was in international waters on Sunday, and the woman has not been publicly identified.
Surveillance video showed Watford entering the cabin at about 7:46 p.m. The woman arrived roughly 25 minutes later. Investigators said no one else was seen going in or out before she was found.
According to an affidavit, Watford said the two argued over dinner in a shipboard restaurant and continued arguing after returning to the cabin. He told investigators he struck the woman several times. Blood got on his shirt, pants and hands, and his stained clothes were later found on the cabin floor.
Watford allegedly said he choked her with both hands, then put his right arm around her neck from behind while she was lying down. He said he applied pressure for about four or five minutes and stopped when he became exhausted.
The woman remained still on the floor for around 10 minutes, investigators said. Watford did not call ship security or medical staff.
At about 9:02 p.m., a housekeeper came to the cabin with towels and knocked. Watford answered and spoke briefly with her. The housekeeper told investigators she saw what appeared to be blood on his hands and pants, and saw the woman lying face down and motionless.
The housekeeper alerted other MSC employees. About 13 minutes after her first knock, surveillance video showed Watford leaving the cabin in different clothes. He then sat on the hallway floor outside the room and used his phone, investigators said.
MSC security detained Watford as a suspect. At about 11 p.m., the cruise line contacted the FBI’s Texas City Resident Agency to report a suspected homicide. The Seascape returned to the Port of Galveston early Monday, where FBI personnel boarded and began investigating.
Smith County court records show Watford was previously prosecuted in Texas for assaulting a family member. He was arrested in September 2024 on a charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member, then sentenced that November to 15 months of probation and 30 hours of community service.
MSC Cruises said authorities directed the ship to return to Galveston after the cruise line reported an incident involving a guest. The company said it was cooperating with the investigation and supporting those affected. The ship later left port and resumed its planned itinerary.
“As this is an active investigation, we cannot provide more details,” an MSC spokesperson said, adding that the company’s thoughts were with the woman’s family and friends.
An FBI task force officer said evidence supporting the murder charge includes surveillance footage, Watford’s statements, accounts from MSC employees and an examination of the woman’s body.
